In San Francisco, it’s BYOB

By Chris Cluff  |   Tuesday, June 26, 2007  |  Comments( 8 )

San Francisco 49ers
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In San Francisco, it's BYOB. Bryant Young Opting Back.

It took the 35-year-old defensive tackle a couple of months to decide, but coach Mike Nolan convinced him to return for a 14th season. Young signed a one-year deal that will pay him $4.25 million this year.

"I feel like I'm still able to go out there and make the plays that are asked of me," Young told reporters when he signed in March. "In terms of my body, yeah, it feels a little different than it did five years ago. But with experience, you're able to gain a little wisdom and smarts."

Over 13 seasons, Young has gained a lot of experience while becoming one of the best to ever play for the 49ers. He is third in team history with 83 sacks, including 5½ last season as he started every game at left end.

So why come back for a 14th season at age 35?

"We're on the verge, the cusp of just being right there," Young said of the 49ers, who finished 7-9 in 2006. "I thought we left something on the table last year, and with the addition of a few more pieces, we're going to be right in the mix. Part of it is wanting to be part of finishing work and leaving the 49ers organization like I found it."

Young joined the 49ers as their first-round pick in 1994, when they were still annually one of the top two or three franchises in the NFL. They went 13-3 and won the Super Bowl in his rookie season and won 61 games over his first five years. The offense -- led by Steve Young and Jerry Rice -- was always in the top five, and Bryant Young played on a defense that twice was ranked No. 1. Those were the glory days, when the 49ers finished a run of 16 straight seasons with at least 10 wins -- accomplished under coaches Bill Walsh, George Seifert (BY's first) and Steve Mariucci.

The team slumped once Steve Young left, winning just 10 games combined in 1999 and 2000. Despite a 4-12 record in '99, Bryant Young still went to the Pro Bowl for the second time. He also went in 2001 and 2002, when the 49ers won 22 games.

But since Mariucci left in '02 (after 57 wins in six seasons), the 49ers have fallen on hard times. They went 9-23 under Dennis Erickson and are 11-21 in Nolan's first two years. But the 7-9 finish last season, which included a sweep of the NFC West champion Seattle Seahawks, gives Young hope that the team will get back to the playoffs in 2007 for the first time since Mariucci left.

The other draw for Young is the promise that he will not have to play as many snaps as he has in recent seasons. He started every game last year and played a lot more than he and Nolan preferred because injuries depleted the line, while Young held up so well. The 49ers have added several linemen this offseason; Young should be spelled by guys like Sam Rayburn, Ron Fields and rookie Ray McDonald.

"When I hear [Nolan's plan], I think it's about me not playing 85 to 90 snaps a game," Young said. "That's taking advantage of the personnel that we'll have. I welcome that because I realize that I can't do it all by myself."

But BY himself can help the rest of the team do it. And that's why it's BYOB for a 14th season in San Francisco.

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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, ...
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